The Daily Dormouse. (aka Bike) Part 1686 by Angharad Copyright © 2012 Angharad All Rights Reserved.

Lunch was a subdued affair, and the others taking their cues from me, kept quiet rather than ask me what was wrong.

“Did I see Andy Bond?” asked Stella.

“Yes.” My answer was very short and direct.

“Oh, okay.” She missed off, ‘be like that then,’ but I could detect it from the one of those two words.

Puddin’ took her attention and I collected Catherine from her high chair and shoved her to my breast. She didn’t need to be asked twice.

I checked my teaching notes for the last time, tomorrow they get a test drive with the first of my ecology classes. I really can’t believe I have over a hundred students. To deal with the field work, we’ve imported two other teachers from Southampton University, they’ll each run a field group. The students won’t be very happy as they’ve all come to cuddle a dormouse and some will be doing a study on reptiles and the other on insects. They’ll do a term on each–oh my group gets mammals, but not necessarily the cuddly types, we’re doing hedgehogs.

I collected the girls after school and Danny got in moments after we did. He had to do some running training, so I got the two older girls to ride their bikes along with him while he ran. They enjoyed it, not sure about him.

After dinner, I told Simon that Andy Bond had visited and the point of his visit. “So he suspects we did the car?”

“So it would seem.”

“Is he warning us to get ready for some awkward questions?”

“Dunno, he could be. But if you lie to a coroner, the contempt of court punishments can be severe.”

“I left my wheelbrace where it bounced off Ditchley when he was trying to kill James. That could have both our dabs on it.”

“It’s in your car.”

“How can it be in my car?”

“I put it there.”

“When?” I was amazed, he’d been beaten up and somehow managed to pick it up.

“I collected it while you were chasing Ditchley. Thought it might be useful as a weapon if he came back.”

“So you didn’t think I could deal with him?”

“I wasn’t sure, he’s a mean bastard, the way he stabbed Jim just to wind you up.”

“You’d have been right, if that copper hadn’t shot him, I’d be dead now and another name on the coroner’s list.”

“I had every confidence in you, Babes, otherwise I’d have chased him off myself. That forward roll kick was neat, where you hit him down the stairs.”

“Surprise is the greatest advantage in attack. Do something different.”

“It certainly surprised him.”

“It surprised me, too. I wasn’t sure if he’d fall for it.”

“I think he fell from it.”

The papers have been very quiet since the initial write up of the police action, anonymous tip-off, they said didn’t they?”

“Yeah, but it doesn’t mean the police will be quite so helpful if the third wise monkey goes to trial.”

“Want me to loosen his nuts?”

“Si, don’t even joke about it, we have an enormous amount to lose including the children if any allegation was to be proved.”

“Just deny everything and don’t tell a living soul, even your lawyer.”

“I haven’t.”

“Good.”

“Mummy,” Trish tapped my arm but I was busy talking to Simon.

“Mummy.” I ignored her again.

“Mummy,” this time with indignation, “can I hack the President’s emails?”

“Yes, go ahead,” I said without really listening to what she’d said.

“Okay, Barack here we come.” She wandered out of the kitchen.

“What did she say?” I jumped up, “Trish, what are you doing?” I ran after her. Fortunately, it was a tease to get my attention, she and Livvie were stuck on their homework. Oh boy.

The English sorted, I went back to see Simon but he was in the bath having a soak. He was covered in bruises, mind you so was I, including one on the side of my neck where Ditchley had pressed the knife. I touched it and shuddered.

I left Simon to his soak advising him that if he was still there half an hour later, I’d send up the storm troopers with jugs of ice cold water. I wouldn’t but he didn’t know that.

I went and checked with Trish and Livvie that they’d finished their homework and they asked me to read to them. We all snuggled up on the big sofa in the lounge and Mima came along as well. Danny was pretending to be reading his own book but I noticed he stopped and turned around to face me. Puddin’ also came in to listen and sat with Meems.

What was so compelling? The ‘The Just William,’ stories. They all loved my impression of Violet Elizabeth, who will, “Scweam and scweam until I am thick.” I read them two stories and then they went off to bed–the girls that is. Two hours later I was in my own.

I awoke at six, Simon had just got up and was shaving. I watched him for a moment before showering and then drying my hair. I dressed in my denim skirt suit with a white long sleeved top which probably showed too much cleavage, but if you got it–flaunt it. I did my makeup and squirted on some perfume, Annais Annais.

I called the girls and Danny as I went downstairs, Simon had already gone to work. I started the breakfasts and each of my kids told me how nice I looked–which was I suspect am agreed device to boost my confidence, especially with all my brui–hang on–they’d all gone when I showered this morning–Trish. No wonder she wanted to sit right next to me last night–the little monkey–she obviously drew on my energy and fed it back to me. What surprised me was I didn’t feel it.

“Gosh, you look nice this morning,” said Julie, who these days nearly always looks good.

“Thank you, sweetheart, I hope you’re not planning to wear those all day?” I noted her shoes which had an inch platform and five inch heels.

“You can talk.” She nodded at my boots which had a mere three inch heel.

She grabbed a quick cup of tea, a slice of toast and after touching up her lipgloss was off to work, she was opening up this week–they take it in turns.

It seemed very soon after that I’d taken the girls to school, avoided the headmistress, and drove to work. I was in the lecture theatre half an hour before my initial lecture of this new system. A technician waited outside the door and as people entered they were asked to take a draw ticket. There were three different colours and they were told to hold onto them.

“Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. Welcome to my introduction to ecology. Please keep your ticket handy because at the end of the lesson, I’ll explain their purpose.”

I introduced our course texts, three books which would give them the general idea of what ecology was about–if they ever opened one of them. I also ran through how we conduct experiments, measure populations and mark different species. I reminded them that ecology was about systems and habitats, both local and worldwide.

I asked for questions. “Lady Cameron, how soon before we get to handle a dormouse?”

“I’m not sure I can answer that, but I shall come on to the matter of the tickets you took as you entered the room. Now please remember you chose that ticket, no one forced you to have it.

“Okay, those with green tickets...” a murmur ran round the room. “You’ll be doing your first term of practicals with Dr Moody, who’ll be looking at the ecology of insects.

“Those with blue tickets, will be doing the ecology of reptiles with Dr Ann Lydiard, and those with pink tickets are stuck with mammals and me. We’ll be looking at hedgehog ecology.

“Next term, each group will move round one as per the slide.”

“Can we swap, tickets, ma’am?” asked someone with an American accent.

“If you can find someone who wants to do your element first, yes fine, but by next week, I need everyone to be settled in a group and those names registered. No one will be allowed to one element twice. If we catch anyone trying it, we’ll sell their bodies for medical science to the anatomy school at Southampton.” There were loads of groans at this, probably because I mentioned Southampton.